Danilo D’Ambrosio’s expulsion during the lunchtime match between Monza and Cagliari raises controversywith the former Inter defender sent off for hitting Mina from the ground in what appeared to be a reaction kick.
The former race director Gianpaolo Calvarese also expresses himself on the topic on his social profiles: “63′ of Monza-Cagliari: D’Ambrosio sent off for violent conduct on Mina. D’Ambrosio tries to get up at the end of an action on the baseline, and, with his back turned, hits Mina on the lower parts with his studs. Di Bello is called back by VAR and draws a direct red card. Given that from what I see in the Serie A championship the evaluation of intensity (in a contact sport like football) has been lost. difference on violent conduct, I continue to see expulsions for gestures which are indeed over the top, but which have nothing violent about them”.
Calvarese continues and concludes: “The red card is the most extreme punishment: to impose it, all the necessary parameters must be present. In this case, here D’Ambrosio simply tries to get up; the VAR uses slow motion, especially in situations like this, which emphasizes what it’s a contact: the more you slow it down, the more serious it seems. Here we just have a player trying to get up, without any kind of violence. For me this episode doesn’t qualify for VAR intervention.”